Wayne State University law professor Stephen Caulkins commented about the proposal by Times-Shamrock Communications to buy the Times Leader newspaper in Wilkes-Barre , Penn. The deal has led to speculation that the Wilkes-Barre area would become a one-newspaper town and that antitrust laws may be violated if the transaction goes through. Caulkins said that nothing prevents the buyers from talking with Justice Department officials even before making a bid on the Times Leader or before a deal is in place. "It's very common to talk ahead of time," he said.